Helping Others
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Sometimes, it's in helping others that you find the courage you need to live right.


Title: "Helping Others"  
Author: Kat Lee  
Rating: PG/K+  
Summary: Sometimes, it's in helping others that you find the courage you need to live right.  
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, names, codenames, places, items, fandoms, titles, and etc. are always © & TM their respective owners, not the author, and are used without permission. Any and all original characters and everything else is © & TM the author and may not be reproduced in any way without the author's express, written permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but don't you ever just wish we weren't such outcasts?!"

Charles released a heavy, wistful sigh as he pulled his wheelchair in right next to the orphaned teenager's bed. "Every day of my life," he answered solemnly, but instead of his truthful, understanding response bringing some level of relief in the young mutant, Scott looked even more upset.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again, shaking his head. "Of course you have! Look at you! Here I am whining about being an outcast because I'm a mutant, and you're - " He stopped, realizing what he was saying, and blushed as red as his ruby quartz shades. "I'm sorry," he apologized again, as he thought to himself, Geez, why can't I do anything right today?! Here, the old man had taken him in when no one else wanted him except for that creepy Nathaniel Essex, and he repaid his kindness by throwing his disability into his face.

Charles reached out and took his hand. "It's all right, Scott. I've tasted disdain more times than I care to remember, and you're right: It hasn't always been because of my mutant abilities or my work for the equality of our kind. I've heard people laugh at me both because of my bald head and because I'm in this wheelchair."

"But," he continued, tugging on the child's hand until he finally looked up at him, "my differences are not handicaps. They have, instead, helped me to be able to help others who need help far more than I myself. I've been able to assist men who thought they would never walk again in doing just that and have been able to give wounded veterans the courage they needed to leave the ghosts of their battlefields behind them and accept that no being able to walk makes one no more or less of a man."

"As for my follicular challenge, I once turned down an offer to star in a television commercial for a new Mister Clean product."

"Professor," Scott asked in surprise, "did you just make a joke?!"

Charles smiled, his blue eyes dancing lightly for a moment. "I did, and it had the intended response. You smiled for the first time today, Mister Summers."

Scott blushed again. "I . . . Yeah," he admitted, "I did." He grew solemn again and looked up into his elder's caring, knowing eyes. "But how do you live with it every day?"

"Because," he told him, "without these abilities, or lack thereof, I would not be in such a position to so easily help so many. You're not the first young mutant I've helped, you know, Scott."

"No. No, sir, I didn't." He'd never thought about it until now, but it made sense that the Professor had helped others his age and of their kind.

"Let me tell you about one particular case. This poor child's telepathy kicked in when her best friend died. She was in the girl's mind when she died, Scott, and a part of her died with her. She wanted to die when I reached her, but now . . . " He smiled. "Now, she's beginning to put her life back together, and what's more important, she wants to live and help others of our kind."

"I do, too," he said quickly. "I want to be like you, sir. I want to help our people."

Charles' smile brightened. "You'll have your chance, son, but for this evening, let's get some rest, okay? You've had a long day today, and I'd like to take you with me on one of my cases tomorrow."

"Absolutely!" They shared one last smile for the night before Charles left Scott alone with his thoughts and tuned into his own. It was time, he thought, time to begin gathering not just one or two souls but a bright cast of young, caring people like Scott and Jean for a world that would always need the help they could give.

**The End**


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